One of the fundamentals of living sustainably is sourcing food and products as locally as possible, and for me it doesn’t get much more local than Pana Chocolate who are located just streets away from where I work. Pana Chocolate are a company that makes raw, organic, vegan, handmade chocolate that is super delicious.
They are certified organic and step you through the process they follow to make the chocolate on their website, as well as providing information about where they source all their ingredients. The list of things that aren’t included in their products is pretty impressive, and definitely makes you feel like you’re being at least somewhat healthy!
I love it when companies are so upfront and clear about things like that as there can be so much ambiguity around what words like ‘organic’ and ‘fair trade’ really means these days. I also love the name, which to me sounds like a play on the french ‘pain au chocolat’ although as the the founder’s name is actually Pana that may just be a coincidence!
The chocolate comes in 11 flavours so there is something to suit every tastebud from plain (raw cacao) through to the more out there flavours like blue-green algae, and everything in between. There is even a gift pack called ‘I Love You Mum’ which includes four flavours – rose, mint, raw cacao and coconut & goji. The bars retail for $6.50 ($8.50 for the rose flavour and $28.95 for the gift pack) and whilst that may seem steep for only 45g of chocolate I find I can’t eat much at a time as it’s so rich and full of flavour, so it lasts a lot longer than regular chocolate!
The packaging is all fully recyclable and I think it’s really cute. There is a layer of paper and the chocolate itself has been stamped with little logos and pictures. I feel like you can tell it’s handmade even without having to be told!
I’m yet to try all of the flavours (to be honest, I’m just not sure about blue-green algae!) but of the flavours I have tried I’m struggling to pick a favourite because they are all really good. I’m always partial to both mint and orange, so they both rate highly and the cinnamon one was delicious as well. I was pleasantly surprised by the rose flavour which tasted like a mix between turkish delight and chocolate – yum. The coconut & goji flavour had an interesting texture as it wasn’t as smooth as the others thanks to the chunks of each ingredient, but it wasn’t quite crunchy either. I think the sour cherry & vanilla flavour is next on my to-try list!
Overall I think Pana Chocolate are a great, local company doing some wonderful work bringing healthy (well, healthier!) delicious, raw chocolate that can be eaten by anyone, regardless of their allergies or dietary requirements, whilst simultaneously doing everything they can to reduce their impact on their environment. That always gets a tick in my book!
Have you tried Pana Chocolate before? Would you be brave enough to try the blue-green algae flavour?!
Disclaimer: I won the ‘I Love You Mum’ Gift pack in a competition on Veggie Mama’s blog however this has not impacted on my opinion of the chocolate in the slightest, and I have bought it for myself many times in the past (and will continue to in the future!)
Share the Love
I Spy Plum Pie is Liz, an early 30s kiwi-born, Melbourne raised girl who is passionate about the environment and sustainability, food, exploring and learning new things. Join me on my journey to a happy, sustainable life!
Erica @ Addicted to Handmade
July 31, 2013 at 10:28 am (11 years ago)blue green algae is actually pretty good! i think my fav has to be orange though, or maybe nuts or rose. i havent tried the sour cherry one either, i went a bit nuts and bought a variety of the pana chocolates online a while back but it was before they released it!
I Spy Plum Pie (admin)
July 31, 2013 at 11:35 am (11 years ago)Okay, you have convinced me to try the blue green algae flavour – I will report back on my thoughts! The rest have been so delicous so I’m sure it will be too!
Caeli @ Little Vegan Bear
July 31, 2013 at 11:32 am (11 years ago)I love Pana! YUM!!! I WANT SOME NOW!!! I loooove mint. Rose sounds interesting, I’ll have to try that one next!
I Spy Plum Pie (admin)
July 31, 2013 at 11:39 am (11 years ago)Of course you love mint, that doesn’t surprise me in the slightest! The rose was really good, I was pleasantly surprised! Where in the world are you right now?!
Caeli @ Little Vegan Bear
August 1, 2013 at 11:11 am (11 years ago)I’m in Kingaroy, just came up from Toowoomba yesterday! Looking for JOBZ!
Janelle
July 31, 2013 at 1:45 pm (11 years ago)Hiya, I made it my challenge today to find this Pana chocolate you speak of, you convinced me that I MUST try it 🙂 So I jumped in head first and got the blue green algae flavour (my curiosity got the better of me!) it’s a strange feeling not knowing what I’m eating but I guess people eat blue cheese which is essentially mouldy so I think I’m safe. I’m sure it contains something useful like phosphorus. I enjoyed it, the wrapping is so cute as well. Thanks for the inspiration!
I Spy Plum Pie (admin)
July 31, 2013 at 2:32 pm (11 years ago)Congrats on jumping right in! I guess I have no excuse not to try it now. Very glad to hear you liked it – let me know if you try any other flavours too!